The case summarized Former Olympic champion Olaf Tufte and 27 former national team rowers have set an unofficial world record in rowing a Viking ship. They used a large and heavy copy of the Oseberg ship, and rowed as fast as possible into the sea outside the pier in Tønsberg. They managed to break the old record of 5.1 knots, despite poor conditions with rain, wind and little tailwind. Tufte describes rowing a Viking ship as a different experience compared to a competition boat, especially considering the use of the legs and oars. The initiative for the speed test came from former rower Halvor Sannes Lande, who became curious about how fast it is possible to row a Viking ship. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – Long strokes, guys, shouts former Olympic champion Olaf Tufte in rowing. Light competition boats have been replaced by a large and heavy copy of the Oseberg ship. Tufte takes long, fast strokes with the oars while he sits the boat first in his row on a skinfold. He and 27 former national team rowers wear tunics, like the Vikings had. But the rowers are not going out on a trip, they are to row as fast as possible across the sea outside the pier in Tønsberg. Olaf Tufte and the other rowers give everything they have to set a record. Photo: Hege Therese Holtung / news We have to make more attempts – Then we pass three knots, says Chief Tor Odvin at Saga Oseberg. He steers the boat and measures the speed. Everyone is rowing hard. They have tried several times now to beat the old record of 5.1 knots today. This is the last attempt. It is raining, blowing and there is little tailwind. – Now you have to follow, boys, shouts Tufte firmly, while the speed increases. – 5.2! It is beaten, says Odvin and is happy. Don’t row so fast until All the rowers raise their arms in the air and cheer. They have thus set a world record for rowing a Viking ship of that size, according to Odvin. The original Viking ship, the Oseberg ship, dates from 820. But this copy, which was built on Osebergodden by the jetty in Tønsberg, was launched in 2012 and has been on many trips. Odvin does not know that anyone has rowed such a large Viking ship of 21.5 meters as fast before. But he adds that the record is unofficial. If it is to be in the Guinness Book of Records, special requirements are placed on how the attempt is carried out, Odvin points out. Former national team rowers brave the wind and weather to set speed records with Viking ships. Photo: Hege Therese Holtung / news Not the best relationship – It was fun. It’s cool to know the forces at work and everyone who contributes to moving forward, says Tufte. He admits that it was not so easy to beat the old speed record set by the Oseberg boat team in 2013 or 2014. – We don’t exactly have dream conditions today. It is something aesthetic and elegant to see 28 men transporting such a large vessel across the water, says Tufte. He says it is quite different to row a Viking ship compared to the competition boat he usually rows. The biggest difference is that you don’t get to use your legs in the same way, he says. – And the years live their own lives. So it’s all about taming the veins. Impressed by the effort Odvin is impressed that the old record was broken in the conditions of rain and wind. Also, there is electricity in the water. – Those guys are so strong that it’s absolutely sick, he says. – What will you use the record for? – We shall not use it for anything as a hero, other than to challenge other groups to beat it with us in the ship. Wanted to know how fast you can row a Viking ship It was former rower Halvor Sannes Lande who took the initiative for the speed test after seeing the Viking ship in Tønsberg this summer. – Then I became very curious to see how fast it is possible to row a Viking ship, he says. In good conditions, he thinks they can row the ship at 6 knots. – Are you going to try this more? – You must not ignore it.
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Cheered over a new “world record” in rowing a Viking ship – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
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